Rockies Tee Off on Moore, Bettis Blanks Giants

Published Sep 5, 2016 at 3:51 PM

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Matt Moore #45 of the San Francisco Giants delivers in the first inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on September 5, 2016 in Denver, Colorado.

Did you think it couldn’t get any worse after the Giants managed just 14 hits in four games at Wrigley Field?

Well, they had a surprise waiting for you at Coors Field!

On a hot day at the best hitters park in the land, the Giants managed just two hits. They lost 6-0 to the Rockies, falling to 1-4 on this road trip and dropping further into a dangerous spot in the standings. By the end of the day, their lead in the Wild Card race should be just a half-game over the Cardinals and 1 1/2 games over the Mets.

The Giants didn’t have a baserunner through four innings, but for half of that period, Matt Moore looked up for the challenge. The wheels came flying off in the third. Moore walked Christhian Adames and then issued a four-pitch walk to opposing pitcher Chad Bettis, who was trying to put a bunt down. Raimel Tapia sliced a liner to short that looked like it might be a double play, but it ricocheted off Brandon Crawford’s glove to load the bases. A sacrifice fly got the Rockies on the board.

The Giants decided not to pitch to Nolan Arenado with two in scoring position, putting the ultimate Giants-killer on intentionally to load the bases. Carlos Gonzalez got a fastball he liked and yanked a grand slam into the bullpen. The slam was the first allowed by Moore in the big leagues. He would give up another homer before being pulled after his 43rd pitch of the inning.

The Rockies had four hits in that inning. The Giants didn’t have their first until an Eduardo Nuñez single in the sixth. Trevor Brown hit a double in the sixth, but that was it against Bettis, who threw the Rockies' first complete game of the season.

Starting pitching report: Moore failed to get through three innings for just the fourth time in his career. The start was his shortest since June 4, 2013. He was charged with six earned runs on five hits and four walks.

Bullpen report: Ty Blach, who grew up 15 minutes away, made his MLB debut in the sixth and quickly retired the side, hitting 93 on the gun. He had a perfect seventh, too, ending it with an Arenado groundout to second. He worked around trouble for a scoreless third inning of work.

At the plate: #RockBottom.

In the field: Arenado speared a hot liner off Hunter Pence’s bat. The whole park thought it was an out, but just for good measure, Arenado whipped a throw across the diamond from his knee. On a more positive note for the Giants, the San Jose affiliate named Jonah Arenado the team MVP.